CONVENTION HIGHTLIGHTS
	Main I 1 I 2

Giuliani Leads The Way At R&R Convention 2003

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — “The only way to lead other people is if you know what you stand for. You have to have a philosophy.”

That was just one of the six basic principles of leadership that the 107th Mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, shared with a capacity crowd on Saturday morning during a 90-minute keynote address and Q&A at R&R Convention 2003, held here at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Giuliani’s other five principles were to be an optimist, have courage and deny fear, engage in relentless preparation, have great teamwork and effectively communicate with co-workers and executives. And effectively communicate with the radio and record industries he did, noting that much of the inspiration for leadership techniques came from former President Ronald Reagan and late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He also stressed that leaders should remember that any organization is “human” and that compassion, caring and love is an essential part of a successful operation.

In response to a question from the audience on how the industry can use his advice in dealing with difficult times, Giuliani said, “I think you have an absolutely wonderful industry, but piracy and the downloading of music is just terrible. It is fundamentally dishonest. The federal government and all of you should take more interest in that.”

Indeed, among 18-24s, 22% are purchasing less music from last year to this year. The culprit? Downloading. This according to the R&R/Edison Media Research study that was unveiled at R&R Convention 2003. In addition to responses such as “don’t like what’s out” and “don’t have the money,” the ability to download music for free on Internet file swapping sites was cited as the top reason for the purchasing decline. Also troubling is the fact that 48% of respondents state that today’s current music is just “not as good as it used to be.” Nearly 50% of 18-24s identify themselves as “heavy downloaders,” and the downloading epidemic is definitely spreading to demos beyond teens. In-depth coverage of the research will appear in future issues of R&R.

Achievement Awards

Giuliani’s address on leadership was just one highlight of this year’s convention, where another leader — Clear Channel Radio’s John Hogan, CEO of the nation’s largest radio chain — was selected by the readers of R&R as Radio Group Executive of the Year.

“The strength and vibrancy of radio today is undeniable, and it is without a doubt the most exciting business in America,” Hogan said. “Radio offers so much in the way of opportunities, and when I started out as a radio seller more than 20 years ago I never imagined the changes that the industry would undergo and the advancements that would be made. It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with so many of the best people in the industry, and I wish to especially thank all of the hard-working professionals at Clear Channel Radio.”

2003 was the first year all the awards for all of the categories were handed out at one, all-inclusive award show. And because there were 101 awards to be distributed in a two-hour period, who better to emcee than America’s “favorite fast-talker,” John Moschitta Jr.?

® 2004 Radio & Records, Inc.